Cameron Norrie’s anger exploded during his recent match at the Auckland Classic, almost leading to a disqualification that could have tarnished his preparation for the upcoming Australian Open.
The 29-year-old Briton found himself in a tricky situation when a poorly executed forehand return hit the net, handing his opponent, Facundo Diaz Acosta, a crucial match point. Frustrated by this chain of events, Norrie threw his racket towards the crowd, unintentionally hitting a spectator, but fortunately without much force.
The spectator escaped unscathed, and Norrie received only a warning from the chair umpire as Diaz Acosta concluded the match with a score of 6-2, 6-3.
“I didn’t want that to happen, but it’s definitely not a good look, and I’ve never done that before,” Norrie mused after the match. “The woman just laughed and I apologized quickly, saying, ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that.’ She said, ‘Yes, I’m fine.’”
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He added: “It wasn’t a big deal in my eyes, but we’ve seen how things can get out of hand with other players. A slight mistake like this could easily lead to disqualification if things go wrong or that someone is not paying attention This was never my intention, and it goes against who I am as a player. I quickly apologized, and I want to express my regret for my behavior. .”
Tennis has a history of controversial disqualifications, including Novak Djokovic’s surprising exit at the 2020 US Open when he accidentally hit a linesman with a ball. In another notorious incident, Stefanos Tsitsipas narrowly escaped disqualification during a heated Wimbledon clash against Nick Kyrgios after hitting a ball into the stands. Most recently, Marc Polmans was disqualified at the 2023 Shanghai Masters for a similar infraction involving a chair umpire.
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Norrie, himself, endured a difficult 2024 season, battling injuries that forced him to miss key tournaments, including the US Open. However, he bounced back in early 2025, putting in a strong performance in the quarterfinals at the Hong Kong Open.
As he prepares for Melbourne for the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday, Norrie’s journey has been fraught with challenges. In November, after finally ending a long winless streak, an incident with opponent Roberto Carballes Baena added to that drama. After managing to turn things around to win 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the Moselle Open, tensions flared during their post-match handshake. Carballes Baena expressed annoyance at Norrie’s use of the Spanish phrase “Vamos”—meaning ‘Come on’—during crucial moments, suggesting it was an attempt at psychology.
The Briton remained impassive, retorting: “A couple of ‘vamos’ and you’re angry?”, showing his resilience in the face of pressure. Norrie has surely faced his share of adversity, including a wrist injury that kept him from competing at the Olympics and the US Open last season.
With five ATP Tour singles titles, including a prestigious Masters 1000 title from the 2021 Indian Wells Masters, Norrie will enter the Australian Open as the number 19 seed as the draw approaches this Thursday. The British number 2 is hoping for a trouble-free tournament, keen to keep calm and avoid any further dramatic racquet-throwing incidents in Melbourne.
